


Colleen's

by Pluxolol



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: (mentioned) - Freeform, Angst, Asexual Character, Bittersweet Ending, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, Fluff, Growing Old, M/M, No Beta, Podfic Welcome, Post-Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Smoking, Time Skips, angst with a bit of fluff, asexual jokes, cursing, im ace and im touch starved lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:41:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28563708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pluxolol/pseuds/Pluxolol
Summary: Gavin isn't immortal, Nines knows that.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34





	Colleen's

**Author's Note:**

> Hnnnngh. I cried while writing this so apologies if it's a mess. 
> 
> Just a few trigger warnings:  
> -this fic describes two major character deaths (not graphic, not suicide)  
> -this fic mentions food  
> -this fic also has a brief scene where a character is in a hospital. Nothing other than him having a breathing tube is described.  
> -some minor additional things such as smoking, cursing.

December 28th, 2040, 20:33  
  
Gavin swore around his cigarette as the flame flickered out again. He dropped the match onto the pavement and struck another one with shaking hands.  
  
A woman laughed loudly as she held the door open for her boyfriend? Husband? Brother? Who the fuck cares. They hurried by, snickering as they got in their car.  
  
It's cold, and a bitter thought comes to Gavin's mind that if hell freezes over tonight, he'll find himself in a 'metric fuckton' of trouble.  
  
A bell chimes behind him and the light dances across the snow as the restaurant door his pushed open and falls back shut again.  
  
Gavin scoffs at the shadow looming over his shoulder, "Took you long enough."  
  
The figure placed a hand on his lower back, "You seem to have a good enough time with nicotine and a matchbook."  
  
Gavin's face was more akin to a wet cat than a human's, "fuck off, Nines."  
  
Nines rolled his eyes playfully, taking Gavin's hand in his and leading him to the car, "I think you know my stance on that."  
  
Gavin should have never introduced him to all those Tumblr blogs on asexuality, "I think you know my stance on stealing other people's jokes ninety percent of the time."  
  
Nines just smirked, _plastic prick_ , "What? That you have no problem doing it with Officer Chen's horrid jokes about oral sex?"  
  
Gavin threw himself into the passenger seat of his car, pouting. He tossed the matchbook he took from the restaurant on the dashboard. Pink, curvy letters over a dark magenta that read, 'Colleen's.'  
  
Nines chuckled, sitting in the driver's seat and spreading an arm behind Gavin's as he backed out of the parking lot.  
  
Gavin stared out the window, eyes drooping to the car radio quietly playing songs he didnt care to identify. After fifteen minutes of quiet, he managed to mumble out a "Hey, Nines?"  
  
Nines glanced at him slightly, turning his eyes back to the road as he spoke, "Yes, Gavin?"

"I love you."  
  
"I love you too, babe," Nines smiled brightly, "Thank you for the wonderful date."  
  
"Whatever," the man slurred out, lazily batting a hand in his direction before falling asleep.

* * *

  
June 26th, 2041, 21:44  
  
The candles shuddered as a breeze swept through the room.

Warm, olive hands and black nail polish swept over pale thighs, skipping past boxer shorts to rest on his chest.  
  
Gavin sighed, forehead resting against Nines' as he breathed in every inch of synthetic skin his hands traveled along. He knew his partner had no desire to go farther than this, and he was content with just laying here with him.  
  
A 'trust exercise' Nines had told him. A slow way for the android to explore intimacy with Gavin and figure out what they were comfortable with.  
  
Nines rubbed circles into Gavin's back when he noticed the man had stopped, placing gentle kisses along his neck and whispering, "Are you okay?"  
  
Gavin leaned into the touch, smiling, "Yeah. I'm fine, tin can. Are _you_ good?"  
  
"I'm okay, love," his hands traveled up the man's back, skin retracting to a white glowing chassis beneath, "However, I think I may be ready to stop soon."  
  
Gavin turned his head to kiss Nines, "You better not be putting up with me because of that 'fair' bullshit. We could put our clothes back on and watch shitty reruns for the rest of the night and it wouldnt matter a damn to me."  
  
Nines laughed, somehow breathless, "Although that does sound appealing, I am okay. I promise this isnt about fairness."  
  
Gavin leaned in for another kiss, "Good."

* * *

  
May 2nd, 2045, 05:46  
  
Gavin was alone. It was bright, and confusing, and _he was all alone._  
  
He pushed away the thing on his hand and reached his hand towards his face. He was alone and- no, he wasn't alone, because hands pulled at his gently and moved to cup his face and it was a person. _His_ person.  
  
Gavin leaned into the hands, smiling around the tube in his mouth and barely listening to the voice floating above him. The voice's name swam around in his brain but he couldn't quite catch it.  
  
He fell back asleep.  
  
Nines was there to greet him when he awoke four days later.

* * *

  
October 17th, 2056 19:12  
  
"Gavin? I'm home," Nines called out to what seemed to be an empty home, save for their four cats running to greet him.  
  
He hung his jacket up and walked further into the house, "Gavin?"  
  
Up from above, something dropped to the floor with a thud and a muffled "Here!" Called out.  
  
With furrowed brows, Nines found the ladder to the attic, climbing it to see the floor scattered with old photos and papers along with a few other pieces of memorabilia. Sitting dead center amidst the chaos was a 54-year-old Gavin smiling like it was his eleventh birthday.  
  
"Nines! Look what I found," he shoved an old photo of the man and his friends, Chris and Tina, from when they were in the police academy.  
  
Nines took the photo, glancing at it before raising an eyebrow at his husband, "I thought you planned on cleaning today?"  
  
Gavin flushed as he stumbled over his words, "I did! I just- got a little distracted."  
  
A little' meant the twelve boxes in the attic had been rifled through, cards, pictures, and what little Gavin had from his childhood were poured out onto the floor.  
  
Stepping cautiously through the mess, Nines sighed, "I hope you know I am not cleaning this up."  
  
Gavin just rolled his eyes, "Nobody said you were, asshole," he reached up and tugged at Nines' hand, "Now come here and look through shit with me."

* * *

  
December 17th, 2056, 17:36  
  
Gavin leaned his head on Nines' shoulder, eyes red and rubbed raw. Nines could only lean his head on the man's in return.  
  
Hank Anderson had died Saturday morning at the age of 71.   
  
Letting his gaze drift to Connor standing seven and a half feet away. Hank was like a father figure to him.  
  
His thoughts wandered to Gavin.  
  
Gavin was human, Nines is not. Hank Anderson was lucky to live long enough to die of old age. Most officers didn't have that priviledge.  
  
What if something happened to Gavin on the job? Nines knew he would outlive his husband anyway, does he really want to end up in heartbreak like Connor?

* * *

  
January 12th, 2057, 19:02  
  
"Hell. No."  
  
"Gavin-"  
  
"No, Nines! I don't want to hear it. I'm not giving up on my career at fifty-five years old!"  
  
"I'm not asking you to give up on your work, I'm asking you to-"  
  
"To _what_ , Nines?! To take a desk job? To 'be more careful?' We both know that isn't gonna happen. You signed up for this when you married me."  
  
Silence.  
  
Then, "Gavin-"  
  
"Nines," he pleaded, "You _know_ I can't do that."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then why are we fighting about this?"  
  
More silence. Nines fixed his eyes on the door to the left of him.  
  
"I can't-" he cut himself off.  
  
"Nines," a loving hand on his cheek, a concerned gaze, "Tell me, please."  
  
"I can't-" he lowered his voice in hopes that his words would fall on deaf ears, "I can't lose you."  
  
"Baby," the hand on his face pulled him to look his partner in the eyes, "You won't lose me."  
  
"You can't promise that."  
  
A pause, "I know."  
  
"I don't know if I can live without you."  
  
"You can, and you'll have to," he chuckled softly, "If not I'll come for your ass."  
  
"We've discussed this already, _Detective_."  
  
A barking laugh this time, "You plastic asshole, I hate you."  
  
"I love you."

* * *

  
November 7th, 2062 10:24  
  
It all had happened so quickly. Gavin and Nines had been sent to question someone on a case they had been working on, and before he knew it, he had chased a man three blocks down and walked back to find that-  
  
 **[Save Gavin]**  
 **[Keep Gavin Reed safe]**  
 **[Save Gavin]**  
 **[Stress level 98%]**  
 **[Warning: Systems Overheating]**  
 **[Contacting Emergency Services]**  
 **[Save Gavin]**  
 **[Save Gavin]**  
 **[Warning: Systems Overheating, Shutdown Imminent]**

Nines broke their fall as he felt his legs collapse beneath him, pulling an arm up to protect Gavin's head. His fans ran at high speed and he panted in an attempt to cool himself down.  
  
He needed to stay awake for Gavin, he needed Gavin.  
  
Gavin needed him.  
  
Gavin coughed, "Bad idea getting into a fight with a junkie, eh Tin Can?"  
  
"Gavin-" he sobbed.  
  
"Who knew he would set the whole place ablaze and have the balls to shoot me after," he huffed out a laugh.  
  
Nines just shook, he cupped his husband's cheek gently, "Gavin, I'm so sorry, I should have-"  
  
"Save it, microwave. Just tell me you love me and get it over with."  
  
Nines laughed bitterly through his tears, "You can't stop being an asshole for one second, can you?"  
  
"I don't think so," Gavin huffed, smiling weakly, "Be sure to say that at my funeral, 'kay babe?"  
  
"I love you. I'm sorry."  
  
"I know, baby. I love you too, Nines."  
  
Gavin died on the way to the hospital, the two spending the entire time whispering sweet words into the other's ear and saying their last goodbyes.

* * *

  
April 18th, 2067 17:04  
  
Nines' cat ran straight for the door when he pulled in the driveway. When he opened the door, she was already on her back, screaming at him for pets before he could set down his keys.  
  
He smiled. It was hard coming home for the first year after Gavin died, and he barely did. However, his cat, Mochi, had made it easier in the three years he had her.

He bent down to pick her up, she purred happily as he carried her to the living room and sat on the couch with her.  
  
In the almost thirty years of knowing Gavin and caring for him, dinner had become routine. Now, even though Gavin was gone, every day at six he cooked. Whether it was thirium infused dishes made specifically for androids, something warm to give to Gavin's brother, Elijah, or even just food for the cats. He loved cooking. Everything from the activity, to the memories of Gavin floating around in his head whenever he did so.  
  
Today was special, though. It was his activation day.  
  
He didn't bother for food, this time. Instead, he settled for a small cake, german chocolate, the same kind he and Gavin shared a slice of on their first date.

When it was done, he stuck a couple of candles in them. Moving to rummage around in his 'junk drawer' as some call it, he searched around for something to light the candles with.  
  
After a moment he pulled out a familiar matchbook. Neat pink lettering on a magenta background, creased and worn white at the edges. He smiled, grabbing the last match from the book and striking it.  
  
Gavin would be pissed if he knew Nines still thought of him so much.  
  
He lit the last candle before extinguishing the match and setting it on the countertop. He paused for a moment before blowing them out.  
  
Nines spent the evening watching reruns of terrible shows on TV. His only company being his cake, a glass of wine, and the cat 'subtly' reaching for his plate. When it reached 10pm, he cleaned up.  
  
On autopilot, he washed the dishes, drying them and neatly stacking them in the cupboard. He wiped down the countertop and took the matchbook in his hand, only coming back to reality when he paused over the trash.  
  
He never stopped thinking about Gavin. Every memory of him existed in the majority of his waking hours.  
  
He never stopped grieving... the pain just lessened. Memories of his husband eventually turned fond again. They still hurt, but he felt happy all the same.  
  
He was happy he loved, more than grateful he deviated, and ecstatic that he was activated and given a chance.  
  
Gavin was a light. The shitty matches on the snow-covered pavement, the low, red light of a cigarette, the flickering of candlelight against olive skin. He burned bright like an apartment building set aflame.  
  
Gavin wasn't the world, but he sure as hell felt like it.  
  
Nines let go of the matchbook, and watched it fall into the trash.  
  
He was a beautiful light.

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, yeah, not the best ending. Was a lil weak, but thanks for reading! 
> 
> Kudos/comments/bookmarks/general validation appreciated.


End file.
